A married dad of three who seduced and had a sexual relationship with a girl of 14 was jailed for six years yesterday.

The 32-year-old West of Ireland man “groomed” the girl, mainly by text message and went on to have a series of encounters with her over five months.

He had pleaded guilty to six charges of defilement of a child and one count of sexual assault of a child in 2011.

Neither of them can be identified by court order.

Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court was told in March the girl’s family had become friendly with the man and his family through their church and she had begun babysitting and staying over at his home.

He told her she looked sexy and arranged by text to kiss her.

The encounters – almost all at a remote location – included having sex on the bonnet of a car.

He texted the girl a picture of his private parts and asked her to send him a picture of her breasts. She agreed to the request.

The relationship was discovered by the girl’s mother in July 2011 when she questioned her and discovered the intimate messages.

It was reported to gardai after the mother realised the number being texted was the one for the man for whom her daughter was babysitting.

The man told the court, through his legal team, that he was “absolutely ashamed” of his behaviour.

His offending had taken place while he was breaking up with his wife and he had started “getting attention from an attractive girl – I was happy”. Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Tony Hunt said the man had taken advantage of someone who was less than half his age.

The girl appeared to be under the impression that she was in “some kind of relationship” with the man, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Noting the encounters mostly took place in remote locations, Judge Hunt said they might well have continued but for a vigilant parent.

The girl should have been allowed to develop sexually in an appropriate manner, but he had denied her that.

The judge imposed a nine-year sentence, but suspended the final three years for three years and ordered the man to comply with post-release supervision for 12 months.